A simple e-service for the local communities

In article “DigiTV takes on prescriptions” I read about the case of the Looking Local service. Essentially, the service allows citizens to manage the applications for repeat medical prescriptions, query the General Practitioner (GP) and request a status update, electronically.

In this local community, visits to GPs for repeat prescriptions (prescriptions that are repeated due to being part of a medical treatment – blood pressure pills, T4 thyroid pills etc.) account for the 70% of the total visits. The time saving benefits alone from enabling electronic repeat prescriptions are remarkable for the community.

In my view, this is a persuasive example of a local government taking advantage of broadband and offering services directly targeted to the local community needs. It is that kind of approach which proves that added-value (or value-adding!) services are not just video and voice! And possibly, a local government running a municipal FTTx or wireless network could use analogous practices not only to enhance broadband diffusion among citizens, but also to become a key service provider for the entire region.